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I read the article about the future of media monitoring with great interest. At the risk of exposing my advanced age I remember, at Tellex Monitors in London, sending out broadcast notifications on pieces of coloured cardboard in the post!

Technology has enabled massive changes in the industry, as well as the ability to manage huge amounts of information. But I question whether the monitoring client always needs 'brand intelligence' or 'reputation management'. Many corporates and PR agencies already excel at managing their own, or clients' brands, and therefore have only a need for basic raw material, without the frills. Accurate media monitoring is an increasingly scarce commodity, as monitoring companies attempt to apply voice recognition technology, a method which boasts an approximate 50% accuracy rate, and then develop their advanced equations from that source. If your fundamentals are inaccurate, any analysis based thereon is going to be massively flawed.

Having been involved in the international media monitoring industry for over 20 years, I firmly believe that accurate broadcast information 'logging' can only be achieved by the application of the human intellect. At Digeratus, SA's newest media monitoring company, we espouse the ideal of 'fundamentals first'. We believe that there remains a strong need in the marketplace for cost-effective, accurate media monitoring; the 'raw material' of brand intelligence, if you like.

I believe that media monitoring is a distinct and separate industry, and that it is a necessary ingredient for successful brand management, but not that it is the same thing.

Digeratus focuses on providing fast, accurate and cost-effective monitoring, coupled with excellent client service. We also provide an advanced delivery 'dashboard' which itself incorporates inbuilt PR tools, enabling the client to control every aspect of their brand's reputation themselves.

I firmly believe that there will always be a need for a monitoring service that is client-driven and customer-centric, that neither dictates formulaic packages, nor attempts to encroach on the client's turf by effectively competing with them.

Great piece, Graham! I totally agree that Africa is a patchwork - a real tapestry - of languages and cultures and should be appreciated as such. It's interesting that you do not say much about the difficulties that can come about as a result of refusing to pay bribes in some countries. While bribes are by no means unique to doing business in Africa, they can be quite a huddle for any values-driven (oxymoron?) business.

I am afraid that some of these company even engage is unauthorized logging to profit their business.. I wish they should be like someone else that matters and care most the environment despite they works on similar business type. Like the site http://caldwells.com/, which in fact sells reusable door, old stocks, refurbished or even used home building materials such as doors, windows etc.

I much prefer buying home building and furniture products from garage store or from liquidated furniture shop, like the recent one I got at exterior doors store in CA http://caldwells.com/exterior-doors and start building my own home and property that buying one or rent.

This must be the first issue they need to focus and work on, there are many stores that they can start building home with, like the http://caldwells.com/, that offers cheap yet reliable products for home building and renovations.

Not bad, in fact this estimated average household monthly incomes is much sufficient compare to other state in Africa and much in many countries in the world. This income can even provides enough necessities to the family of almost 10 members. This conduct still give high value of currency despite of state issues, economic and health and educations issues. This report is already outdated, though this can be higher maybe as of today if they also conduct similar survey. However, still matters the housing program that causes every African to involved in many illegal activity, poverty, unemployed, live alongside the street and even migrate to some places if not in other country, which I think the government still need to focus on up to these days. Housing, can be more simple and not a big issue, if they really wanted to help people. Using used materials like doors, windows and some home building materials need not to be expensive, which I think there is always the resources they can get when they want to. I may suggest if in case that they get materials from company that deals with salvaging houses or perhaps those in garage or used products stores like what we have here in the US, which we always rely on http://caldwells.com/, for all our home repair and building needs,

I wouldn't agree more that digital technology has tremendously exploited a volumous customer base through Internet and wireless networks. Mobility has became a medium which has shift "the market place to market space," creating unlimited relationship possibility of marketing and customer. however considering the contradictions of types of various markets eg the captive manufactures whose strategy is ristricted as a risk management policy. Global village is trending and business needs to be trending with the trending in order to trend. Never the less if there is monitoring, controlling and maintainance is crucial for a successful objective. #socialbusinesstrends

Wow, great article indeed, the power of social media is really something else. Many young people do not understand how powerful this medium actually is, as the video suggests that online content can travel anywhere in the world. The one most important thing that most people do not understand is; sooner or later your personal online profile will become a requirement to landing that job one has always dreamed about.

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Elite Voyage http://elite-voyage.com/ make your holiday in Mauritius an unforgettable.Here is no way to get bored in Mauritius. Being an experienced tour operator in Mauritius we are proud to propose a variety of entertainment options which can satisfy the most exquisite tastes. Many of them can hardly be experienced in any other place.

Erik, As much as I admire your optimism I have to tell you that, like most other South Africans, I have a rather more simplified version of what you call "the rural problem" and "one man one vote" making those areas just as important as anywhere else.

You talk about the "SA Economy" as if it's a totally separate entity (it's what a lot of academics do in order to confuse everyone else). What you mean (in its simplest form) is that the government can only spend what the country's TAX PAYERS hand over.

So when you say "the biggest problem for the SA economy is that (it)...had to cater for 5 million more people" what you really mean is that the ordinary TAX PAYER has to cater for them - nobody else can.And therein lies the problem (which you have identified quite clearly) where the ANC can "control" the rural areas (via one man one vote) whilst the major contributors to the economy live in the metropolitan areas - where, I would guess, the ANC ain't quite as popular.

You mentioned elsewhere that 11 million homes had been supplied with electricity and I agree that's remarkable. But it's also transparent because it's brought Eskom to its knees and is crippling the country financially - and any cynic can see that, OF COURSE, any party in power will risk bankruptcy if it can retain power (by inter alia supplying electricity to its strongest support base - the rural areas).

Erik, As much as I admire your optimism I have to tell you that, like most other South Africans, I have a rather more simplified version of what you call "the rural problem" and "one man one vote" making those areas just as important as anywhere else.

You talk about the "SA Economy" as if it's a totally separate entity (it's what a lot of academics do in order to confuse everyone else). What you mean (in its simplest form) is that the government can only spend what the country's TAX PAYERS hand over.

So when you say "the biggest problem for the SA economy is that (it)...had to cater for 5 million more people" what you really mean is that the ordinary TAX PAYER has to cater for them - nobody else can.And therein lies the problem (which you have identified quite clearly) where the ANC can "control" the rural areas (via one man one vote) whilst the major contributors to the economy live in the metropolitan areas - where, I would guess, the ANC ain't quite as popular.

You mentioned elsewhere that 11 million homes had been supplied with electricity and I agree that's remarkable. But it's also transparent because it's brought Eskom to its knees and is crippling the country financially - and any cynic can see that, OF COURSE, any party in power will risk bankruptcy if it can retain power (by inter alia supplying electricity to its strongest support base - the rural areas).

MetropolitanRepublic, you seem to find words hidden somewhere in the depth of the brains and spin them around to confront one with the realities which seems to be dreams in the thought state. I share your visions although I'm not sure you manage to get into depths of ones mind or brains and finally proudly display words right in front of them.

Good article Chantel. It's great to know others are talking about this attitude that is killing consumer/business relationships world wide. I define One-Night-Stand Marketing as: Quick return with minimal investment and attachment. Most of the businesses and sales professionals I work with are always looking for the latest tips and tactics to winning new customers, yet fail to see it's a root (heart) issue that keeps 25% of their customers a year saying good-bye. The same statistics for the US divorce rate are exactly the same for customers leaving you business. It's obvious we don't know how to have long-term relationships both in bed and the boardroom.